Outdoor Wood Furnace Info

All-Purpose OWF Discussions => Plumbing => Topic started by: dukethebeagle on October 11, 2014, 09:41:15 PM

Title: expansion tank question
Post by: dukethebeagle on October 11, 2014, 09:41:15 PM

a quick overview.boiler is 160 gallons,vented no pressure
would like to add some mass.thinking of addin 500 gallons of storage in the basement.
do i need an expansion tank for the storage tank in the house even though it is an open system.
i know sounds stupid but i need conformation
 thnx

Title: Re: expansion tank question
Post by: LittleJohn on October 13, 2014, 06:43:02 AM

No EXPANSION TANK REQUIRED -> in open loop systems

...reason being its still part of the open system, and open to the atmosphere.  Once you create a closed loop system, that is when you need expansion tanks.

If you heat water in an open loop it will expand (maybe push some water out the overflow port) and everythign is good; in a closed loop system, if you heat the water it tries to expand (...and if you do not have an expansion tank to take up this extra volume) the pressure in the system will increase, potentially to DANGEROUS LEVELS, i.e. KABOOM